DOLE says 10,000 contractual workers now regular

Over 10,000 contractual workers have been turned into regular employees, and have been secured of their jobs by their mother companies.

Photo by Rappler

Following the present administration's goal of reducing illegitimate contractualization practices, labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that 195 companies have regularized 10,532 workers nationwide voluntarily.The administration targets to reduce the practices by 50 percent by the end of the year."We continue to encourage employers to voluntarily regularize workers, who are under labor-only contracting arrangements,” said Bello in a press conference for President Rodrigo Duterte's first 100 days.Some countries included in the priority list have complied.These include SM, which regularized 4,796 workers; and 7-Eleven, which regularized 800 workers.Rustan's, meanwhile, has committed to convert into permanent workers a total of 1,200 employees.

The Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) has promised to reduce contractualization work arrangements by 50 percent by 2016 and eliminate it by 2017.While some companies have complied, there are those who refused. According to Bello, seven companies were given cease-and-desist orders (CDOs)."'Yung cease-and-desist order, from its very implication, ibig sabihin pinapahinto namin yung operations ng kumpanya or kaya inorderan namin yung isang ahensya or manpower service ay huwag muna sila magdeploy. Yung cease and desist order is already a form of sanction," said Bello.These companies are: Global Skills Multi-Purpose Cooperative, HD Manpower Services Cooperative, Worktrusted Manpower Cooperative, Excellent Multi-Purpose Cooperative, and DCMM Manpower Services in Calabarzon; JD Manpower Services in Metro Manila; and Abelline Human Resources Services in Central Luzon.Bello also claimed that DOLE is seriously looking into the scheme of Alaska Milk Corporation as he hinted that the company might also receive a CDO soon."Kapag hindi sila naka-comply, that will be tantamount to failing the assessment. In which case, ang kanilang preventive suspension can worsen to a cancellation of registration," Dole Undersecretary Dominador Say said.Labor officials said that CDO's are to be considered as warnings to businessmen who won't adhere to their schemes."All regional offices have been directed to suspend the Certificates of Registration of establishments found violating the law of security of tenure," said Bello.The labor chief, then, said that the methods against "endo" will not lead to job loss, unless the companies will opt to close down because of it."Ang worst case scenario is mag-close shop yung kumpanya. Unless they will close, these contractuals will graduate into regular employees," said Bello. MJMSource: Sun Star